North Korea’s long-range rocket failed early Friday, U.S. officials said.

The rocket broke up soon after taking off, the officials told NBC News.

“All indications are that it failed,” one official said but went on to say that they are still looking into it.

The White House said it would issue a statement, NBC News reported.

The launch, which North Korea’s neighbors and the West say is a disguised ballistic missile test, was to take a three-stage rocket over a sea separating the Korean peninsula from China before releasing a weather satellite into orbit when the third stage fires over waters near the Philippines.

Regional powers also worried it could be the prelude to another nuclear test, such as one the hermit state conducted in 2009.

Reports say the impoverished country spent around $850 million on the project, with another $5 million set aside to imprison any citizens who didn’t weep uncontrollably if the launch went bad, which appears to be the case.

Sources tell me US intelligence officials suspected a possible rocket launch after satellites picked up signs of artificial light in North Korea after sunset.

I’ve managed to obtain top secret video of the launch. It didn’t go well at all: